Monster Hunter High
by Cottonmouth25
Summary: A glimpse into the life of Khezu Amp, an average boy attending an average high school. But what happens when a face-off with the school bully changes his life for the better? A Monster Hunter fanfic, with a "humanized" twist on the monsters! Rated T because I'm playing it safe.


**This is a short story that I invented upon the epiphany that I resembled, personality-wise, the Khezu from Monster Hunter.**

**I tried writing this from a normal high-school student's perspective, which is a lot harder than it sounds. I just hope I made everything realistic enough (besides the characters' names, obviously).**

**Have fun with this humanized version of Monster Hunter!**

-.-.-.-.-.

I sat down heavily at a table in the library, exhausted. Not physically, mind you. I just felt depressed.

Oh, I didn't introduce myself, did I? How very rude of me to overlook that!

My name is Amp, Khezu Amp. I'm 16 years old and have stark-white hair, pale skin, and weak eyesight. I'm as blind as a bat, so I wear glasses to help with that. I prefer the cold and the dark, so I'm usually happy in the wintertime, as it is now.

The thing is… I've never been the most popular person out there. Not that I want to be. It's just that I'm the school's outcast. No one pays attention to me, with three exceptions. I have average grades, so it's not like the teachers think I'm anything special. None of the students seem to like me, even when they do occasionally notice me.

The three exceptions to this rule (remember, I mentioned them earlier) are my friends. There's Rathalos Azure, Rathian Rose, and Plesioth Green.

Rathalos is one of the most popular guys in Minegarde High. He has flame-red hair and wears mostly blue-colored clothes. Everyone likes him and looks up to him. Rathalos is a natural leader – confident, good-natured, and experienced. He's also pretty good-looking, I have to admit.

Rathian is Rathalos' girlfriend. She's really pretty, with long blond hair (although you normally couldn't tell – it was always dyed entirely green) and sapphire eyes. She usually wears pink or red, and always has the same necklace around her neck – a gold dragon with a ruby embedded in its chest. In my opinion, Rathian is everything a friend should be; kind, friendly, funny, and always there for you when you need help.

Then there's Plesioth. He's tall, lean, and relaxed. I've never seen him angry or tense or anything like that. He's just naturally happy-go-lucky. His orange hair is dyed with blue streaks, and he always wears green, blue, or teal. His astrological sign is Pisces. Probably not necessary to tell you that, but what the heck.

Today they found me in the library sulking. Like I told you, I was emotionally exhausted. I just wanted to turn the thermostat to a temperature most people would call "freezing" and curl up in my comfy bed, with all of the lights shut off. I'm weird like that.

"What's the matter?" was the first thing out of Rathian's mouth when she sat down next to me. I mumbled, resting my head in my arms as I did so, "Just upset."

Rathalos, sitting down across from me, wrinkled his brow. "What?" he said skeptically. "Khezu Amp, upset in the middle of winter? What's gotten into you?"

I didn't listen to him, instead focusing on something beyond his shoulder. Plesioth noticed that I was looking at something in the distance, so he turned around and tried to figure out what it was.

It didn't take him long. "Ahh," he said with realization. I tensed in anticipation of the teasing remark I knew was coming. "Still fantasizing about Gigginox, I see." Rathian frowned, mouth set in a serious line, and Rathalos sighed wearily.

Gritting my teeth, I closed my eyes for the longest time and let a long breath out through my nose. When I opened them again, Rathalos had shifted in his seat in order to get a better look, allowing me to see straight ahead to the person I was previously focusing on.

Gigginox Venom is probably the prettiest girl who had ever lived. Of course, that's just my opinion, but come on. Who couldn't love her silvery hair and quiet-yet-cheerful attitude? She was almost as thin as me, and from what I could usually see, preferred being alone.

The intriguing (and slightly creepy) thing about Gigginox was that she was frighteningly observant. It seemed that there was nothing that her grey eyes couldn't detect. Any subtle change, whether it was on a person or a simple change in the light, was instantly noticed.

The thing that really ticked me off was that, despite her preference for remaining solitary, Gigginox was never alone. She was always shadowed by a contingent of admirers that everyone had nicknamed "the Giggis". I eventually planned to one day get her alone and tell her how I feel about her, but how on earth can I do that when there's always someone watching?

Something jerked me back into reality. It was Rathian, drawing me into a hug. "Don't worry, Khezu," she reassured me. "I'm sure you and Gigginox will be a good couple someday."

Plesioth finally sat down, opposite Rathian. "What you need is something to take your mind off of her," he said in his slow, calm voice. "I wish," I snorted. I hated being negative, but whenever I saw Gigginox in class, in the halls, or wherever, my mind was instantly transported to a deserted island where the sun was setting, and Gigginox and I had finally realized our feelings for each other and were reaching out to embrace the other, lips drawing closer together…

I frantically shook myself to dispel the illusion. "Come on," I growled. "Let's go to the cafeteria. Lunch doesn't last forever and we've already wasted half of the period." We made our way to the cafeteria, located at the end of a hallway branching off from the libraries'.

When we got there, it wasn't exactly crowded. My spectacle-aided eyes picked out Jaggi Great and his four younger siblings, Barioth Chill and his friends Barroth Jade and Blangonga King, and Naruga Kuruga, the raven-haired girl sitting alone as usual.

My neck prickled and my palms grew clammy as I suddenly saw Deviljho Wrath and his gang, the most feared people at Minegarde High, enter the cafeteria as well. The gang of notorious bullies included Diablos Black, Rajang Fury, Tigrex Rager, and of course Deviljho himself.

Rathalos, Rathian, and Plesioth had by now caught up to me and froze at the sight of the gang. We all breathed a sigh of relief as we saw them move over to pick on Naruga Kuruga. I wasn't worried about her – rumor had it that she had been taking kung fu lessons for five years, so I was sure that she could take care of herself.

We sat down at a table on the opposite end of the cafeteria (no point in taking unnecessary risks) and simultaneously opened our lunches.

"I've got sushi," sighed Plesioth. "My absolute favorite." Rathian and Rathalos said as one, "Aptonoth roast." Plesioth stopped drooling over his seafood and looked at me. "What have you got, Khezu?" he asked curiously.

I took a peek, and my face softened at the smell that curled out from my lunch box. "Undercooked Kelbi," I murmured contentedly. Plesioth covered his nose at the strong odor, and Rathalos (always the witty one) took out a clothespin from his pocket and pinched his nose with it.

We all had different eating styles. Plesioth would eagerly snap his food up in short bites. Rathian often picked almost daintily at her food. Rathalos tore large pieces off of whatever he happened to be eating and chewed them enthusiastically. I, on the other hand, pretty much swallowed everything whole.

Deviljho and his gang left five minutes after we started eating, so that allowed us to relax a bit. As I suspected, Naruga didn't seem to have a problem.

We finished our lunches about a few minutes before the next bell rang, so we all went our separate ways upon exiting the cafeteria. I went down a mostly abandoned hallway, which was a good shortcut to my locker and then my next class (English… ugh, boring).

But as I turned a corner, I saw that it wasn't abandoned after all. Deviljho and his squad of fear were terrorizing another student. And guess who it happened to be? That's right, Gigginox Venom, this time without her Giggis shadowing her.

I froze in place, trying to figure out what to do. Then I heard Deviljho laugh unpleasantly, "Come on, no need to be afraid. It's just for a night."

OK, if he was talking about what I thought he was, now I _had_ to act. There were two possible outcomes. Scenario No. 1 was me successfully running off the bullies, saving Gigginox, and possibly ending up with a new girlfriend.

Scenario No. 2, which was unfortunately the far more likely outcome, was me getting my limbs broken and neck snapped, no closer to getting Gigginox's attention than I was three years ago, when I first fell for her.

My A-average brain stupidly decided on the first option. I made a mental note to ask Gigginox if she wouldn't mind carving out my gravestone.

But wait! If I got one of the teachers – or better yet, Mr. Fatalis, the principal – I could save Gigginox and maybe even put an end to Deviljho's reign of terror.

I caught a glimpse of Gigginox's terrified eyes on me as I ran as fast as I could in the opposite direction. _She thinks I'm abandoning her,_ I thought glumly. _That's probably to be expected, if the only other option is facing Deviljho Wrath._

I sped off down the hall, nearly smashing into a door that opened just in front of me. Thank the gods, it was none other than Whitey Fatalis, the best possible man I could have run into.

"Slow down there, son!" he cheerfully said. "You're already nearsighted as it is, you don't want those glasses to shatter while you're wearing them, you know?" I laughed nervously and caught my breath. The words tumbled over one another as I told them about Deviljho and Gigginox.

"I'm glad you told me, Mr. Amp," Mr. Fatalis said grimly. "I and all the rest of the staff have been looking to put a stop to that delinquent's behavior for some time." I relaxed and led him off towards the scene of… whatever crime happened to be conspiring.

When we got to the hallway, we saw Deviljho angrily clenching Gigginox's arm as if he were about to snap it right then and there. Strangely, I began to feel angry.

"Mr. Wrath!" the principal boomed, and Deviljho, his gang, and Gigginox all turned their heads his way. I saw Gigginox lay her eyes on me and relax, although she could just as easily been looking at Mr. Fatalis.

"You and the rest of these fools are on thin ice," Mr. Fatalis said in his sternest, most commanding voice. "Threatening an innocent girl like this? Come with me to my office, all of you. This spells trouble, especially for you, Mr. Wrath."

Deviljho tried to bluff his way out. "No need, sir," he smirked. "I was just asking Gigginox to return an item that she borrowed from me a while back."

My temper flared, something that it almost never did. "Asking?" I asked sarcastically. "It looked more like you were trying to break her arm." Deviljho snarled at me, and I gagged at the scent of tobacco smoke in his breath. "No one asked you, nobody."

Mr. Fatalis reached the end of his patience. "Come on, the four of you," he commanded. "Thank you again for bringing me, Mr. Amp," he added to me with a nod. He subsequently dragged the gang off without another word.

Gigginox shyly took a few steps toward me. "Thank you… Khezu, is it?" I nodded and blushed slightly. I hoped she wouldn't notice, but remembered too late that she could detect anything. She smiled a little, but didn't say anything.

"It was the least I could do," I said quietly, managing to untangle my tongue enough to speak clearly. "Those bullies have gone too far."

She nodded and continued the conversation as if we had been friends for years. "I've had bad experiences with Diablos. She's really the only one who regularly picks on girls like me. But Deviljho's the worst."

I chuckled. "Obviously. I'm hoping they get expelled for this. Hopefully before they take out my innards." Gigginox giggled, so to speak, not realizing that I was actually being serious. If they got their hands on me, the funeral would start not long after that.

"Did Deviljho really need an item from you?" I blurted. I had assumed that he had been lying to avoid trouble, but Gigginox was actually nodding! "Yes," she said to me. "He'd loaned me a pencil a while back… I wasn't even sure if he knew whom he was handing it to at the time. Just now, he gave me a night to find it."

I laughed a little – it sounded just like Deviljho to idly hand off a random item to someone without even looking up.

"Anyway…" Gigginox said after a moment of silence. "Thanks again. Not many people would have done that." She checked her watch and her eyes widened. I couldn't help but think how unexpectedly pretty that shade of grey was.

"See you around?" I asked hopefully. She nodded and smiled. Before she left, she leaned over and kissed me on the cheek. Before I could even twitch, she was off. Only then did my cheeks go from delicate pink to flaming crimson.

I was in back in my winter mood for the rest of the day.

-.-.-.-.-.

The rest of the week passed by agonizingly slowly for me. Half of the time was spent glancing at corners and alcoves, fearfully anticipating a sudden ambush by Deviljho. The other half was spent staring at Gigginox, who seemed a hundred times more beautiful to me now (to think that was even possible…).

My friends noticed my sudden mood swing from depressed to jubilant. "What happened?" asked Plesioth at lunch on Friday. "One day you're emotionally tired, the next you're proverbially flying."

Rathalos snickered as he absentmindedly stroked Rathian's hair. "Did you recharge your mood batteries?" he asked rhetorically.

"I still can't believe you got Deviljho and the rest so deep in Aptonoth dung a few days ago," said Rathian with a smile. "There are rumors that they've been expelled from Minegarde High. Is that why you're so happy?"

Plesioth glanced around before whispering conspiratorially in my ear, "Does it have something to do with Gigginox?" I flinched and looked at him nervously.

"Thought so," smirked Rathian. "What happened between you two? Did she give you a kiss after you became her knight in shining armor?" I glared with such ferocity that her smile vanished. But I resignedly nodded.

Rathalos placed his arms on the table in mock interest. "How passionate was it?" he snickered. He barely got the question out before I rose from my seat and tried to strangle him. "OK, OK, I was only kidding!" he said, starting to laugh.

And that was the end of that uncomfortable discussion. I sighed to myself, swallowing a huge gulp of Kelbi meat, practically raw this time (honestly, did my mom even cook it nowadays?).

My mind was racing. I could just imagine the little wheels and gears turning inside of it as it madly worked to keep my sped-up thought processes going. I was thinking about how it would be Valentine's Day on Monday next week. Ordinarily, that was my _least_ favorite holiday of the year, but this time, it might just turn out to be the best.

And if the rumors proved true, I wouldn't run the risk of Gigginox getting her gorgeous face mutilated before then. …Or myself getting mutilated, come to think of it.

I idly glanced at the clock hanging above the exit and instantly went into overdrive. There was a little over a minute before the class bell rang. My friends took that as their cue to start packing up in a panicked manner themselves.

Plesioth left so quickly that I wondered if he had been taking stealth lessons from Chameleos Vine. That girl was practically a magician – one minute she was there beside you, and the next, there was literally no sign of her ever being there.

Rathalos and Rathian left as well, with Rathian giving me a sly wink that said, _Good luck_. I reflected on this as I tore off down the halls in search of my locker. Could she have realized what I was planning for Monday?

I was so deep in thought that I almost bumped into Tigrex Rager in the hall. Heart going from a slow beat to a frenzied pound in less than a second, I ducked behind Shen Gaoren, the tall, skinny boy in my Biology class, to avoid his attention.

I was lucky. Tigrex hadn't noticed me, even when I was practically on top of him. If he had, I would have been dead meat.

Shen was looking oddly at me. "Khezu, right?" he asked uncertainly. I nodded timidly, casting a glance back at the retreating Tigrex. He followed my gaze and his eyes widened.

"You're the one I've been hearing about, the one that got Deviljho and his lackeys expelled, right?" I nodded again. Shen looked at me knowingly. "Don't worry about Tigrex Rager getting revenge on you. …Sounds more difficult when you say it out loud, but seriously. His expulsion starts tomorrow – they were going easier on him since he usually isn't as involved in the whole 'bullying' thing as the others are."

I managed to make sense of Shen's nervous chatter. "See you in Biology last period," I called to him as I quickened my pace. He smiled and waved. It must have been nice for a nerd like Shen to have someone to talk to.

Biology class was one of my favorites. It gave my brain a little final workout before I had to head for home. My study group consisted of me, Plesioth, and Sheldon Volvidon, the bowling champ of Minegarde High.

Biology was a great class for another, more distracting reason. In this case, it was kind of unfortunate that Gigginox sat directly in front of me. We had a big test coming up on genetics, and I couldn't stop thinking about her ever since she had kissed me on the cheek a few days ago.

The teacher prattled on about genes and the law of dominance and recessiveness – stuff I kind of knew already. That at least gave me an excuse to stare wistfully at the back of Gigginox's head, admiring the way her neck curved as she tilted her head to the side, trying to keep her hair out of her face. I drifted off into one of my fantasies again, wondering which one of our genes was dominant…

My eyes popped open and I violently shook my head, causing my glasses to slip down my nose. Pushing them up again, I shuddered. I needed to stop thinking like that.

I managed to take my share of notes before the teacher gave us the rest of the period to work on the review questions she had assigned us yesterday. Plesioth, Sheldon, and I grouped our desks together and took a crack at the dozen-odd Punnett Squares awaiting us.

Patiently, I nudged Sheldon as a hint to start working, for he had been doodling insects on the edges of his paper. He had a weird arthropod fetish that was almost as intense as Yama Tsukami's.

Finally, the last bell rang, and everyone scrambled to grab their books and head out the door. I squeezed my way through the crowd without anyone noticing (big surprise), eager to head home for a relaxing weekend.

-.-.-.-.-.

"Aah, Mondays," sighed Plesioth sarcastically. "It would be heaven if every weekday were like this." I barely noticed, as I was so nervous with the proposal I had planned later today looming closer and closer.

Plesioth and I were walking together toward the school's backside. I could smell the dumpster's contents rotting from here, and my nose twitched uncomfortably.

"You know what, Plesioth?" I asked, stopping in my tracks. "You go on ahead, maybe find Rathalos and Rathian and tell them I said hello. I'm going to relax here for a bit."

I didn't know why Plesioth decided to go along with it. Maybe he figured out that I was jittery because of what I had planned for Gigginox. Nevertheless, he nodded and raised a hand in farewell.

Almost the second after he had turned the corner, something leapt out at me from the shadows. A hand the size of a Bnahabra grabbed the front of my shirt and lifted me off the ground, forcing me to stare into the ugly mug of none other than Deviljho Wrath.

I didn't bother hiding my fear. "H-hey, Jho," I managed to squeak, knowing full well that he hated the nickname. But hey, if he was going to knock me into the next century, I wanted to fully deserve it. "I-if the authorites f-find out you're here…"

Deviljho snarled in my face, his breath making me wince. "Save it, Khezu _Wimp_. Thanks to you, me and my entire gang have been put into a whole crap-load of trouble! Any last words before I turn you inside out and use your organs to feed the Remobra?"

To my credit, I managed to forget my fear and smirk at him. "Yes," I said, voice dripping with sarcasm. "If you took a few breath mints every day…"

I didn't get to finish my retort, because Deviljho had given a howl of rage and drew his fist back. I closed my eyes instinctively, but the blow didn't land. That was when I realized the hand that was still gripping my shirt was shaking.

It was as if an electric shock had coursed through my body, overloading the lightbulb in my head and making it explode. A startling realization dawned on me, making hope rise in my chest.

"You're afraid," I said to him with absolute certainty. "Whenever you pick on someone, you're the one who does the threatening. But you always leave the actual beating to your lackeys." Deviljho said nothing, but he gulped almost inaudibly. Almost.

"Shut the hell up," he whispered, drawing his fist back a little more. But now I knew full well that he wouldn't hit me. My fear evaporated like fog on a sunny afternoon.

"Go on, hit me," I challenged boldly. This was so unlike me, but I have to admit, I was enjoying my sudden bravado. "I deserve it, Jho. I got you and your minions expelled."

There was a long silence, then Deviljho sighed and dropped me on the ground. I adjusted my glasses and stood up painfully in time to see him skulking away from the school grounds.

I stared after him for a few seconds, thinking that maybe he wasn't all that bad. Then I dispelled the ridiculous notion and rushed off to find my friends.

I ran into Gigginox in one of the halls. Not literally, we just passed each other. She smiled and waved, and I could feel my ordinarily pale face grow hot. I managed a tiny smile in return, then I doubled my pace.

Finally, I found Plesioth chatting with Rathalos, Rathian, and (weirdly enough) Shen. "Oh, hey, Khezu!" he called, waving me over. "Shen was just giving me some tips for my Chemistry test today." Shen gave me a nod and left, just like that.

I was able to talk to my friends for a little while before we had to leave for our classes. Rathian winked at me again as she left, and Rathalos and Plesioth both gave me encouraging nods. Had Plesioth told them of his possible suspicions about me and Gigginox?

I drove these thoughts from my head and instead focused on what we'd be doing in History class.

-.-.-.-.-.

The bell rang, signaling the end of morning classes and the beginning of lunch period. I got my books together and headed straight for my locker. I got my lunch box, but didn't head to the cafeteria as I usually did. Instead, I forced myself to walk to the library.

When I got to the door, I glanced cautiously around. There was no one around except for the librarian and a couple of students furiously working on the computers. Without making any noise, I walked toward the shelves and shelves of books awaiting me.

As I suspected, I saw Gigginox Venom quietly reading in the Fiction section. She was leaning against a wall, so deeply absorbed in her book that she didn't even look up. She was wearing the most attractive white blouse and matching shorts, and the sight of her made me blush furiously. I sucked in a quiet, yet deep, breath, and crossed the short distance between us.

Her head snapped up as I approached, making me flinch. She grinned when she saw that it was only me. "Khezu, hi!" she called out cheerily, putting her book away in her book bag, which was sitting on the ground next to her.

I positioned myself so that I was against the wall as well, directly beside her. I took another deep breath and said with as much confidence as I could muster, "Well, happy Valentine's Day."

Gigginox gave me a knowing smile. "You too," she responded.

I mulled over my next statement – well, it was a question. "How come you're suddenly being so friendly to me?" I asked in genuine curiosity.

Gigginox's reply was a shortening of her smile. She leaned forward only an inch. "I admit, I've never thought much of you," she said with a hint of guilt. "But, since you helped me last week… I just can't help noticing you now. I just want to get to know you and be friends."

A wry smile crept across my face. "I want that too," I confirmed, and that seemed to relax her. "But," I added mysteriously, "that isn't enough for me." Her eyes swam with confusion.

My hand, which had been reaching into my right pocket, withdrew. In it was clutched a necklace made of silver. A silver phoenix dangled from the chain, and in its beak was a tiny amethyst. "This is for you," I told her, then said again, "happy Valentine's Day."

Gigginox gasped quietly and reached out cautiously to hold the necklace. "This is the nicest thing anyone's ever done to me," she breathed. "And to think that you also saved my neck just a week ago… it's too much."

The time was right, my heart told me. Summoning my courage, my voice broke embarrassingly as I choked out my next statement. "I l-love you, Gigginox Venom."

She looked up from the necklace and into my eyes. Her own eyes sparkled, a pale grey that I thought looked positively beautiful on her. She moved her head a little closer, silver hair shining as it caught the light from the lamp next to us. A blush slowly formed on her cheeks as my words sank in.

I stepped a single pace closer to her, and she did the same, looking down shyly as she did so. I grabbed her hand in mine, making her look up again. And then, she leaned forward and tenderly kissed me on the lips.

We remained together for three seconds, during which I savored the soft, warm touch of her lips on mine. Finally… finally, my dreams were coming true.

After the three seconds had passed, we broke apart, but Gigginox's face didn't stray far from mine. Our noses were almost touching as she said to me in a breathy whisper, "I love you too, Khezu Amp…"

And with that, our lips were together again. But soon, Gigginox twisted her head slightly, pressing herself even closer to me. I reached out with both arms and wrapped them around her slender waist, and she brought one hand to my chest and the other to my neck. Now our prolonged kiss was becoming more passionate as she opened her mouth to wrap it gently around mine.

As we gradually began to make out there in the library, I felt stronger. With Gigginox's love wrapping me in its warm coils, I felt mighty enough to take on a hundred Deviljhos.

The rest of our lunch period was spent in the tender bliss of our embrace.

-.-.-.-.-.

**Well, that's that. Satisfying ending, in my opinion.**

**Here are some of the names and how I came up with them, in case you didn't get any of them.**

**_Khezu Amp_****: Amp is a unit of measuring electrical current.  
****_Rathian Rose_****: Pink Rathian reference.  
****_Naruga Kuruga_****: Nargacuga's Japanese name.  
****_Whitey Fatalis_****: White Fatalis. It was going to be "Jetson Fatalis" at first, because I was thinking of making the principal the original Fatalis, and jet is a kind of black gemstone. White Fatalis seems more appropriate in this case, though.  
****_Chameleos Vine_****: I couldn't think of a good name at first, so I started thinking of how Chameleos lives in jungles, and "Vine" was the first thing I thought of.  
****_Sheldon Volvidon_****: Volvidon has a thick shell. Yep, creative.**

**The rest I'm sure you can figure out.**

**Reviews are appreciated, as well as feedback in case I try to do something like this again.**


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